Proof You Can’t “i” Just Anything: iSnack 2.0 Vegemite

9:27 am, September 29th, 2009, Nicole Martinelli

iSnack-2.0-from-Vegemite-001

Processed food mongers Kraft thought they might cop some of Apple’s cool by sticking an “i” in front of a new product.

Meet iSnack 2.0. It’s Vegemite (for the uninitiated, concentrated yeast extract) plus cream cheese. In one handy jar.

(Forgive me Australians: it sounds like it should’ve been directly marketed as an emetic.)

The new Apple-esque name was chosen from 48,000 entries in a contest. The winning entry was coined by 27-year-old Dean Robbins, who, we’re guessing because he’s also a web designer, is probably also a Mac user.

The "i"s have it: the web designer who came up with the name. @SMH

”It was all a bit tongue-in-cheek, really. The ‘i’ phenomenon and web 2.0 have been recent revolutions and I thought the new Vegemite name could do the same.”

The outrage has been such that Kraft have had to defend what was thought to be a gag (ahem) name for the product:

“The name Vegemite iSnack2.0 was chosen based on its personal call to action, relevance to snacking and clear identification of a new and different Vegemite to the original, ” Simon Talbot from Kraft Foods told the Syndey Morning Herald. “We believe these three components completely encapsulate the new brand.”

This won’t be the first or the last food to be branded iSnack, though this one looks slated to be pulled (if the tweets marked #vegefail are anything to go by) so it might be worth buying for your iCollection.

Should Apple be offended?

Posted by Nicole Martinelli in Advertising, Apple, Humor | Comment on this article

About the author

Nicole Martinelli was born in San Francisco and has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. Cultish tendencies and love for DIY increased while living on the Old Continent, where tech came late and cost more in Big Mac index terms. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek, and since 1999 on her site, Zoomata. If you're so inclined, friend her on Facebook or connect on Linked in.

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13 comments

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

J Rauer, on September 29th, 2009 at 10:12 am

haha great that you mention this. everyone is bitching about the name and i definitely agree.
first they ruin vegemitewith cream cheese. ew.
and they they give it a stupid name.

Charlotte Maher, on September 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am

haha great that you mention this. everyone is bitching about the name and i definitely agree.
first they ruin vegemite with cream cheese. ew.
and they they give it a stupid name.

charlotte, on September 29th, 2009 at 10:18 am

Wow, that’s a bad choice. It’s going to be dated in no time. It loses all caché if Apple ever moves on from the iName paradigm. And what happens when they come out with “new and improved?” Does that make it iSnack 2.1?

It’s tempting to suggest they just use “Vegemite 2.0,” since it allows for universal product extension (Vegemite 3.0, 4.0, 5.0…) without ever worrying about a new name, and easy marketing (which number are you?). But missing numbers would act as a VERY painful reminder of failures.

Worst of all, a name like this seems too clever by half. What are they compensating for?

imajoebob, on September 29th, 2009 at 10:30 am

I think Apple should own the rights to use i before their names,without it we would just have mac,pod, tunes and balls…

Poppa, on September 29th, 2009 at 11:35 am

there’s a great article on the new vegemite over at the naming & branding blog ‘on the button.’ have a look: http://onthebutton.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/vegemite-isnack2-0/

rose, on September 29th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

For everyone who doesn’t know, Aussies regard Vegemite as a national icon. If you land in Australia and say “Vegemite is awful” someone will hit you.

Boruce Lee, on September 29th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

I snack, too…get it?

Loum Ipsum, on September 29th, 2009 at 7:13 pm

Someone hit Boruce Lee for me, please

Loum Ipsum, on September 29th, 2009 at 7:14 pm

iHate it. I think this video just about sums it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlyX3PL82xM

vegemate, on September 29th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

hahaha Kraft is changing the name after all this!

see :

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/vegemitegate-was-it-all-one-massive-con-job/

Charlotte, on September 30th, 2009 at 1:05 am

plus the caption is gold.

Charlotte, on September 30th, 2009 at 1:06 am

Vegemite is great. It is delicious and actually healthy for you. with a bit of slice cheese on toast it’s a great breakfast. the new name is way too techie to work so I am surprised it was picked. Also, HP came up with iPaq before Apple came up with iPod and of course the iPhone was a registered name that CISCO owned before Apple sorted it out with them.

saman Jebeli-Javan, on September 30th, 2009 at 4:30 am